Aztec Civilization/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A boy, Tim, holds a brown ball. A robot, Moby, stands beneath a stone hoop attached to a wall. The stone circle has a snake carved into it. Tim throws the ball; it hits Moby on the head, bounces off the wall, and goes through the stone hoop. TIM: Woo-hoo! Score! I am so much better at this than basketball. An animation shows Moby throwing the ball at Tim, hitting him in the stomach. TIM: Oof! Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, Who were the Aztecs and what was so special about their civilization? Thanks, Wilfredo. TIM: The Aztec civilization was a powerful society that dominated the central area of what's now Mexico for almost 100 years, from 1428 to 1521. An animation shows a large ancient city with pyramids. A modern map of Mexico appears. TIM: But did you know that the people weren't actually called Aztecs? MOBY: Beep. TIM: Not back then, anyway. Modern historians came up with the name as a simple way to describe a pretty complicated society. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, for one thing, the Aztecs weren't a single unified people. An animation shows an Aztec warrior and a map of Central and South America. TIM: They were a bunch of different tribes from all over Mesoamerica, each with its own unique culture and background. Three other Aztecs appear, each dressed in different tribal clothing. TIM: But they had one thing in common, the Nahuatl language, a form of which is still spoken in some parts of Mexico today. A map shows a river surrounded by mountains. TIM: Starting around the sixth century, these groups began settling in the area known as the Valley of Mexico, where they founded independent city-states. An animation shows red dots appearing on the map where tribes established city-states. TIM: In 1428, the three most powerful states banded together to form the Triple Alliance, the foundation for what became the mighty Aztec Empire. Three city-states are labeled as Tlacopan, Tenochtitlan, and Texcoco. TIM: But it wasn't long before one group, the Mexicas, emerged as the most powerful, ruling from their island city of Tenochtitlan. The screen shows an island city with pyramids in the center. TIM: The Mexicas expanded the empire until it stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. An animation shows a map of Central America with Tenochtitlan labeled. The Aztec Empire expands across the map from Tenochtitlan in the northwest to Tehuantepec and Coatzacoalcos in the southeast. TIM: But the conquered peoples weren't wiped out; in fact, they were allowed to rule themselves and keep their local customs. The screen shows two Indians giving tribute to an Aztec official. The two men offer several baskets filled with goods to the ambassador. TIM: As long as they paid regular tributes to the central authority, that is. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, there was more to the Aztecs than just conquest. At the height of their rule, Aztec society was highly advanced. They were skilled farmers and craftsman. They had thriving trade and commerce, and they loved art, especially poetry and song. Images appear: a corn cob, a carved ornament, a woman holding fabric, a man singing. MOBY: Beep. An animation shows Moby holding the brown ball. TIM: Oh, yeah, they also played this game called tlachtli. The exact rules were never recorded, but we think the players used their hips or arms to knock this heavy rubber ball back and forth on a big stone court. An animation shows Moby using his hip to knock the ball over the stone hoop. MOBY: Beep. TIM: But these games weren't always for fun. The losers often wound up, um, dead. Aztec culture was notorious for practicing human sacrifice. MOBY: Beep. An animation shows Moby gasp in horror. TIM: The Aztecs worshipped many gods, each representing a different part of the natural world. Images of Aztec gods appear. TIM: For example, Huitzilopochtli was the god of the sun. The animation zooms in on one Aztec god holding a snake-shaped spear and a shield. TIM: While Quetzalcoatl was the god of the sky. The animation shifts to a different Aztec god wearing a mask with a long bill. TIM: According to the Aztec religion, these gods sacrificed themselves to create the universe. To repay the gods, and to keep the universe running smoothly, the Aztecs had to offer them human lives. Sacrifices were held 18 times a year, and most victims were prisoners captured during the Aztecs' many wars. MOBY: Beep. TIM: I know, it's pretty gruesome. Uh, let's move on. TIM: In 1519, a Spanish Expedition led by Hernán Cortés arrived. An animation shows Spanish ships sailing on the water. An illustration of Hernán Cortés appears. TIM: At first, the Aztec leader Moctezuma II welcomed Cortés, believing that he was a god in human form! An illustration of Moctezuma II appears. TIM: But the Aztecs soon learned that the Spanish conquistadors had only one goal: conquest. The illustration shifts to an image of Aztecs giving gold and items to Cortés. TIM: Cortés formed alliances with several local tribes were bitter enemies of the Aztecs. At first, the Aztecs were able to kick the Spanish from Tenochtitlan, but a massive outbreak of smallpox wiped out almost half the city's population. An illustration shows Aztec warriors in the city, dead from smallpox. The bodies are covered with rashes. TIM: In 1521, Cortés and his allies were able to easily destroy it. An animation shows the island city of Tenochtitlan catching fire. TIM: This was the end of the Aztec Empire and the beginning of the Spanish conquest, as the rest of Mesoamerica eventually fell under Spanish control. The animation shows the map of Central America. The Aztec Empire disappears, replaced by Spanish flags. TIM: But the influence of the Aztecs continues to be felt throughout Mexico to this day. Just visit Mexico City, which was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, and you'll see plenty of reminders of the Aztec civilization! An animation shows an Aztec sculpture in the middle of a modern city. The animation shifts to Tim and Moby, who is holding the brown ball and looking at Tim. MOBY: Beep. TIM: A rematch, eh? Well, you're on! Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts